Resurgence Mahi Matua: Whare Karakia by Zehua Zhang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Parahi in Hoahoa Waihanga, Whare me te Hanganga Competition Category.
ParahiWaihanga· 2026
Resurgence Mahi Matua: Whare Karakia
by Zehua Zhang
Client: Zehua Zhang
A' Design Award Parahi Winner in Waihanga Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #180908The Design
About Resurgence Mahi Matua: Whare Karakia
Kuputuhi Pukapuka: He whare karakia hou a Resurgence i Altadena e whakautu ana ki ngā hiahia hanga anō i muri i te ahi ngahere. E tohu ana te hoahoa ki ngā maunga huri noa mā ngā āhua poupou, whakairo. Ko te raima, te karaihe, me ngā marae ātea whakapaipai e tautuhi ana i ngā wāhi o roto, e whakauru mai ana i te aiotanga o te rā me te waihanga i ngā taiao mārire. E honohono ana te kaupapa i ngā wāhi karakia ki ngā whare o te hapori, e whakarato ana i ngā wāhi mō te whakapono wairua me te taunekeneke pāpori. E whakaata ana i te horopaki o te rohe i te wā e whakawātea ana i ngā mahi hapori kanorau.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award Parahi
Ko Resurgence Mahi Matua: Whare Karakia te toa o te A' Design Award Parahi, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa kōeke e tohua ana mā te auaha, te mahi mōhio me te whakaaro hōhonu. Ko ngā toa Parahi he mahi pukenga e rite ana, he auaha mīharo, e whakatūturu ana i te wheako nui, te whakaaro me te mōhio-ā-ringa o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko Resurgence Mahi Matua: Whare Karakia he taonga whakanuia, whakamīharotia, aroha nui, he ngaio, he auaha hoki. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Parahi e whakauru ana i ngā tikanga pai rawa i te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau, ā, he tino mīharo ki ngā taipitopito. Ka whakatutuki a Resurgence Mahi Matua: Whare Karakia i ngā hiahia, ka pā ki ngā hiahia, ka whakaoho i ngā kare-ā-roto, ā, ka kume i te pākiki.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Resurgence is a contemporary church in Altadena, conceived as a spiritual and cultural catalyst after the wildfire. Inspired by surrounding mountain ridges, its sculpted concrete form rises vertically toward light-filled skylights, expressing renewal. A skylight atrium and courtyard weave nature, light, and community together, uniting sacred worship and civic life in a resilient beacon of collective healing and hope.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Single story building with overall dimensions of 45 meters in width, 45 meters in depth, and 18 meters in height.
- Tags
- Community renewal, cultural architecture, fluid form, concrete and light interplay, atrium with skylight, courtyard garden
- Production Technology
- Materiality and light shape the design. Concrete as the primary material, conveys weight and dignity while its smooth surfaces create a clean, harmonious space. A skylight courtyard and meditation garden establish a quiet dialogue between architecture and nature. Glass curtain walls guide daylight into the interior, forming a sacred, serene atmosphere. As light moves through the vertical spaces, it brings a continuous sense of ceremony and spiritual tension.
- Design Challenge
- The project faced the challenge of balancing spiritual, social, and cultural needs after wildfire loss. Internally, it required understanding Altadena’s history, community trauma, and collective memory. Externally, constraints included building codes, material limits, daylighting technology, and construction feasibility. Overcoming these involved iterative modeling, community feedback, and innovative use of concrete and glass to create a resilient, meaningful, and functional design.
- Research
- Type of Research: Applied architectural and social research. Objectives: Explore architecture’s role in post-wildfire community renewal. Methodology: Community engagement, iterative modeling. Tools: Site analysis, surveys, models, 3D simulations. Participants: Residents, church leaders, community groups. Results and Insights: Mountain-inspired forms, light, and open spaces foster spiritual and social connection. Impact: Strengthens cohesion, cultural life, and human-centered design practices.
- Inspiration
- The design was inspired by Altadena’s post-wildfire recovery and the site’s mountainous landscape. I studied topography, light behavior, and community rebuilding models to shape a form that abstracts surrounding ridges into a vertical, light-filled sanctuary. Research into trauma-informed spaces and passive daylighting informed the atrium, courtyard, and concrete massing, creating a resilient structure that fosters healing, unity, and spiritual renewal.
- Project Duration
- The project started in August 2025 and was completed in December 2025
- Operation Flow
- This project operates through spatial flow and light manipulation. Its atrium and skylights transform daylight into dynamic patterns, guiding movement and fostering contemplation. Interaction occurs as visitors move between worship, community, and meditation spaces, experiencing shifts in scale, light, and material. Key frames include entrance, atrium, courtyard, and sanctuary. By harmonizing architecture, light, and landscape, it enhances spiritual and social engagement.
- Team Members
- Zehua Zhang
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